Most energy drinks use two main ingredients to give you a kick -- caffeine and sugar are the primary culprits. Sugar is the more questionable of the two in terms of an energy source. Sugar gives you an insulin spike, but it's a short one, and when insulin starts to leave your body, you tend to crash. Caffeine is a better source for an energy boost, but it makes some people jittery and, in large doses, can cause heart palpitations. There are some companies that claim to have created a caffeine-free energy drink that is effective.
SEA 2O Organic
This energy drink appears to be free of caffeine. It uses insular fiber, seaweed, vitamin B-5 and agave sweetener. It would seem that the energy boost you get from SEA 2 O Organic comes primarily from the sweetener. The drink contains 32 g of sugar in a 10.5 oz can.
5-Hour Energy
The decaf version of the popular 5-Hour Energy drink contains a very small amount of caffeine, roughly the amount in a 1/2 cup of decaf coffee. It also uses B vitamins, amino acids and choline for its purported energy boost. 5-Hour Energy contains no sugar, which bolsters its claim that you won't crash after drinking it.
Cranergy
Cranergy, a product from the company that produces Ocean Spray cranberry juice, is said to give you a healthy boost of energy. It mixes cranberry juice, B vitamins and green tea extract and contains 35 calories. It's not quite a non-caffeine energy drink, since green tea extract contains a relatively small amount of caffeine. You can expect at least a minor boost of energy from the beverage, from both the green tea and perhaps the fruit juice as well.
Considerations
Some energy drinks use guarana instead of caffeine as a primary ingredient. However, gurana contains lots of caffeine, so don't be fooled if you don't see the word caffeine on the list of ingredients. For example, A.C.T Energy uses guarana as well as green tea and a number of other ingredients, including B vitamins and amino acids, which might contribute to boosting your energy. So if you are looking for a caffeine-free energy drink, read the ingredients label carefully.
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